Mongolian governmental news agency MONTSAME covering Russian-Mongolian expert meeting on hydropower plans in Baikal Lake basin instead of official report published quote from the Facebook account of an engineer responsible for Egiin Gol Hydro construction:
"On May 24 Russian and Mongolian authorities inked a protocol where the Russian Federation recognizes that the construction of Hydropower Plant of River Eg is subject of Mongolia’s international affairs, according to the Facebook post by D.Odkhuu, the leader of River Eg Hydropower Plant Project unit.
With the signing of the above document, works of …

The first time a UN regional body established explicit cooperative program to facilitate sustainable development on the New Silk Road (OBOR). And we are happy to see that UNESCAP Secretary clearly outlines key obvious problems already challenging implementation of the OBOR Initiative: lack of multilateral decision-making mechanisms and unsustainable bias towards resource extraction with lack of social and environmental safeguards and transparent risk assessment processes in general.

Last month China and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) have signed a cooperation document to …

Paris Climate Agreement or Silk Road Initiative – according to Nursultan Nazarbayev -all major strategies are not comprehensive enough to advance development and deal with environmental challenges. He timely suggested to build a holistic global roadmap for green economy.

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has suggested mapping out the Global Roadmap on green economy development at the 9th Astana Economic Forum 26 May 2016.
"In pursuit of economic benefit we often forget about a whole spectrum of measures on the issues of environment. Global initiative to prevent climate change is of …

NYT article “Unplugging the Colorado River” by Abrahm Lustgarten published right before World Fish Migration Day gives detailed description of water management options in drying Colorado River Basin. Proposal to drain giant reservoir behind Glenn Canyon Dam is given serious attention as a measure to prevent unnecessary water losses. Many other smaller reservoirs in the western US have been already decommissioned and their dams removed to assist fish migration and as climate adaptation measure. RwB believes that this timely discussion demonstrates lack of reason behind proposals for new “climate …

Picture by Sarukhanov. Novaya Gazeta.
‘We are ready to offer the project of the transfer of fresh water from the Altai region of Russia through Kazakhstan to arid Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,’ said the minister. In the near future we will hold consultations with our colleagues from Kazakhstan on this issue.’ He said the plan could be implemented without any damage to ecology. Tkachev said that Russia can spare from 70 to …

The Silk Road Initiative lacks clear environmental safeguards and specific green development guidelines. The China-backed Egin Gol Hydropower Project in Mongolia could disturb the sensitive ecosystem of the lake.
Every Chinese person knows about one place in Siberia – Lake Baikal. It is not necessarily famous for its unique biodiversity or for being the deepest lake in the world. Every winter, radio broadcasts warn Chinese listeners about “cold air masses that are moving in from the Lake Baikal…”
Chinese people are beginning to value Lake Baikal and are increasingly coming as tourists …